Mass Effect: Divided We Stand
by Egghead
Summary: Summary: What if the Citadel Council was a little more cooperative when Shepard came asking for their help to take back Earth from the Reapers? How would it affect the Reaper War? A different take on Mass Effect 3. Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or any of their characters, ok? However, any OC is mine and mine alone. Bwahahahaha!
1. Chapter 1

**Mass Effect: Divided We Stand**

 **Summary: What if the Citadel Council was a little more cooperative when Shepard came asking for their help to take back Earth from the Reapers? How would it affect the Reaper War? A different take on Mass Effect 3. Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or any of their characters, ok? However, any OC is mine and mine alone. Bwahahahaha!**

 **Chapter 1:**

"Spirits preserve us." Sparatus muttered under his breath as the Turian and his fellow Citadel Council members, minus the human representative who was undoubtedly preoccupied, watched the devastation being wrought by the Reapers on Earth in abject horror. "The humans are being decimated. And it's even worse then what is happening on Palaven."

"Commander Shepard warned us about this. And we rewarded his warnings by covering Sovereign's attack on the Citadel as a Geth plot." The Asari Councilor Tevos said mournfully. "He chose to sacrifice countless Alliance ships to save the Destiny Ascension and it's nearly ten thousand strong crew complement. He also saved OUR lives too for Goddess's sake and we treated him like he was some sort of delusional madman."

"In retrospect, it was probably NOT the wisest course of action." The Salarian Councilor Valern stated quietly. "It also didn't help that our claims were legitimized by Shepard's reappearance as an associate of Cerberus after he was 'killed' during that Collector attack on the original Normandy two years ago. But because of it, we are now in a better position to render assistance at such a critical time."

"Have YOU gone mad?!" Sparatus demanded, turning to glare at Valern. "Both Earth and Palaven are burning and the Reapers are amassing on the borders of Thessia and your homeworld. We are in NO position to help each other because our priority should be our own people."

"And it is exactly that kind of insular thinking that got us into this mess in the first place." Valern snapped back before taking a deep breath to compose himself and continues. "I am not suggesting abandoning your own people Sparatus. But even YOU can see the futility in engaging the Reapers in a war of attrition. What I AM suggesting though, is that we pool whatever resources we have in support of the one who has proven time and again that he has the drive, capability and resolve to defeat the monsters at our very doorstep."

Tevos's eyes widened at this as she realized who Valern was referring too. "Surely you are not speaking about Commander Shepard?" At Valern's nod of confirmation, the Asari Councilor found herself pondering her colleague's logic and couldn't help but agree.

And judging from the look in the Turian Councilor's face, so did Sparatus even if it was reluctant.

Shepard has always been dealt an unfortunate hand and yet, through some form of miracle, ALWAYS managed to overcome the odds. Proof of this was in his stand against Batarian slavers in Elysium, his campaign against the traitorous Spectre Saren Arterius and most recently, his virtual return from the void to battle and defeat the Collectors who had been targeting human colonies which also delayed the Reaper advance in the process.

"Even if that were true, we don't even know if Commander Shepard survived the Reapers's assault on Earth let alone if he will seek an audience with the Citadel Council for assistance." Sparatus pointed out. "After all, our previous interactions with him has been less then…. Civil."

"I've had discussions with the former Council member Anderson about this. He believes that based on his previous encounters and subsequent repeated defeat of the Reapers, Shepard is the key to everything because they think he is a threat to their very existence and I am inclined to believe them. Targeting humanity was simply a means to break him." Valern revealed. "Shepard will be sent out to seek alliances and when the time comes, the Salarian Union will stand with humanity against the Reapers and do it's part to prevent the extinction of the universe as we know it."

"The Hierarchy does not have the resources to…." Sparatus began but was cut off by Valern.

"For ancestor's sake Sparatus. Do you really expect us to believe that the Hierarchy did NOT plan for contingencies such as this after Sovereign's attack on the Citadel?" Valern asks in exasperation. "That you did not, at least, build up your forces in anticipation for another invasion."

"We have existing treaties in place that prevents us from building up our fleets and stockpiling military grade weapons and equipment past a certain limit to prevent abuse." Tevos said, narrowing her eyes at Valern. "Are you saying you have secretly violating our treaties?"

"For the protection of our people, yes we have even if it is nowhere enough to combat the Reapers." Valern admitted unashamedly. "Treaties are no good to us if we get wiped out. Are you saying that the Asari have not been doing the same after the Citadel attack by Saren and the Geth?"

A low chuckle which turned into a full blown laughing fit came from the Turian Councilor. Once he gets himself under control, he waves off the offended looks by his fellow councilors.

"Apologies my fellow Councilors. It has been a very stressful time for me." Sparatus said. "But I've been thinking that we concentrated so much on trying to keep tabs on each other that we failed to recognize the warning signs that has been staring at us right in the face for the past two years or so. Perhaps it is a good thing that we're having this meeting and are now willing to air whatever indiscretions that we have as far as our treaties go. It may now be one of our greatest advantage against the Reapers."

Tevos watched as Sparatus's expression cycle from angry despair to ironic amusement and finally, grimly determined as he spoke. And for the first time, a spark of hope bloomed inside her. For the longest time, the Turians had the most military strength in Citadel Space and any military buildup by any other races would be perceived as hostile actions by them. For Sparatus to say that it was an advantage now was a positive sign that he was willing to cooperate.

"So you are now willing to go along with Councilor Valern's plan?" Tevos asks tentatively.

"I may have a stubborn streak but I'm not stupid." Sparatus said after a moment's pause. "Commander Shepard has the best track record and experience against the Reapers. If he is the best man to lead the fight against them then we will give him all the support he needs."

"Then we need to compare notes and see what we can spare for him and hash out a plan of action before he gets here." Valern said. "Every second we waste is a second that the Reapers will use to gain more strength. And we don't have a lot of time."

… **...**

Shepard was angry.

He had voluntarily given himself up to the Alliance after the suicide mission to the Collector Base in order to tell them what he knew and warn them about the coming of the Reapers.

But instead of listening to him, they placed him under arrest and charged him with colluding with the terrorist organization. Not that Shepard really had a choice since Cerberus was the only one really doing anything about it back then.

By the time they realized their mistake, Earth was already being invaded by the damned Reapers and he had to leave behind his mentor and friend, Admiral David Anderson, to lead an impossible fight against virtual god-like beings.

To make matters worse, his old friend Lt. Commander Kaiden Alenko was injured by a Cerberus robot in their mission to Mars to retrieve information vital for the war which, as it turned out, came from another old friend, Dr. Liara T'Soni. And thus far, it wasn't looking good for the N7 biotic specialist when he was being transferred to the hospital in the Citadel.

So yes, Shepard was not really in a diplomatic mood for his meeting with the Council. He allowed them to get away with denying the Reaper's presence before because he was actively moving against them, but this time, their eyes would be opened one way or another even if he had to pry them apart with a crowbar.

Liara, who was accompanying the Spectre to the meeting to present her findings, noticed his foul mood and touched his arm in an effort to calm him.

"Easy Shepard. Nothing will be accomplished if you allow your temper to get the better of you." The Asari archeologist soothed. "Besides, the Council cannot deny the existence of the Reaper now seeing that they've already invaded both Palaven and Earth."

"Sure they can. Sovereign invaded the Citadel and they denied that it had anything to do with the Reapers." Shepard retorted bitterly. He knew that it was just his frustration at feeling so helpless that was causing him to speak this way but he didn't really care. He figured he had a right to be upset since nobody had heeded his warnings and now, everyone was paying for it.

But before Liara could answer, the duo arrives in the Council chambers where all four council members were waiting for them. Shepard was supposed to meet the Human Councilor in his office but his secretary had asked her to inform them that they were to proceed directly to the Council chambers.

Councilor Sparatus looked drawn and haggard even for a Turian. But that was to be expected since he was also under a lot of stress because his homeworld was also being invaded by the Reapers.

Councilor Tevos's beautiful Asari features were properly mournful and sympathetic though Shepard couldn't tell if it was because she truly empathized with his plight or just upset that they were wrong about the Reapers.

The Salarian Councilor Valern looked a little twitchy but was otherwise expressionless as he gazes at Shepard and Liara.

But it was the look on the face of Anderson's replacement as a Councilor, Donald Udina, which gave Shepard pause. Sure the career politician looked as tired and as distressed as Sparatus from dealing with the backlash of the Reaper's invasion of Earth. But there was also something else there.

Hope. Something which seemed to be in short supply these days.

"Welcome Commander Shepard." The Asari Councilor began. "First off, allow us to offer our sympathies for what is happening on Earth. We understand that the Reaper attack was quite sudden and brutal."

"Yes it was. We had little warning and even less preparation for the Reapers. Our forces stood no chance." Shepard answered, clenching his fists tightly. "Admiral Anderson opted to stay behind and lead a resistance force and sent me here to ask for help."

"Admiral Anderson is a credit to the uniform." Sparatus rumbled. "I may not like him very much but I DO respect his bravery, dedication and principle."

"That being said though, I'm afraid that we must first and foremost, attend to our own people's needs in these trying times." Valern stated.

Shepard's heart sank at this. He came all this way just for the damned Council to deny him face to face. He was the one who warned them about the Reapers and he was still getting screwed around and, as a result, Earth was being made to suffer.

He was just about to explode on the Council before Valern continues what he was saying.

"And the best way we can serve our people's needs is to make sure that the Reapers are taken care of, once and for all." Valern added.

Just as quickly, Shepard's mutinous thoughts executes a one eighty.

"W-What?"

"In retrospect, our decision to outright dismiss your claims of an impending Reaper invasion was a grievous lapse in judgement. One that the current members of the Council will regret and atone for, for the rest of our lives." Tevos said somberly.

"But what we CAN do right now right now to rectify that mistake is do something that we should have done right from the beginning." Sparatus stated, straightening himself. "Spectre John Shepard. You are hereby given the unenviable task of initiating operations against the threat known as the Reapers. We have already taken the liberty of…. Reassigning some assets under your command but how you wish to handle things from there is up to you."

"Wait a minute." Shepard said, wondering if he should pinch himself to see if he was still asleep and dreaming. "You mean just like that? You're not going to listen to our pitch on what we need to do or anything?"

"You've had the most experience in dealing with the Reapers." Valern stated. "Therefore you are the best candidate to lead this. "You just tell us what you need and we will do our very best to provide."

"Then we should begin with this." Liara said, activating the holographic projector on her omni-tool which displayed what looked like a large satellite with specs scrolling down the side. "Councilors, I believe we have found something in the Mars Archives that will have us defeat the Reapers."

"What is this?" Sparatus said, studying the device. "Is it some sort of weapon?"

"We believe so." Liara confirm. "It is a weapon called the Crucible which is devised by the Protheans to combat the Reapers but were unable to complete in time to prevent their extinction. I believed they stored this information for future cycles to find and use against the Reapers for when they returned."

"So it is an untested weapon then." Valern stated as he eyed the specs scrolling up the projection. "The scale of which, if these numbers are accurate, quite immense and elaborate. How do we even know if this will work?"

"I've ran simulations based on the numbers provided by the archives and all results concluded favorably. The Protheans would NOT have this in the archives if they believed that it wouldn't work. All it needs is something called the Catalyst in order to activate the device once it is constructed."

Shepard steps forward, hoping his endorsement of the project would sway the Councilors. "Councilors, Liara has been studying the Protheans all her life. If she believes it'll work, I believe her."

The Councilors looks at each other in silence before looking back at Shepard and Liara.

"Very well Commander Shepard. We will all send experts to study the plans and begin construction of the Crucible project." Valern said. "However, this war against the Reapers still needs to be fought and throwing all our assets at this does not seem like a wisest course of action."

"I agree." Shepard said with a nod. "Which is why I intend to conduct operations that weaken the Reapers on a galactic level even if I have to do it one planet at a time. I also intend to recruit anyone I can to join this fight irregardless of their personal motives so if you have a problem working with anyone based on their species, affiliation or background, you better raise your objections now."

"As we said, you are tasked with conducting operations against the Reapers." Sparatus said curtly. "We will trust your judgement in this but know that the consequences of your actions are also in your hands."

"Fair enough." Shepard agreed with a nod. "It's nothing really new to me."

Udina then spoke for the first time since the meeting started. "I've discussed things with both Admiral Hackett and Admiral Anderson and they both agree with me that, in light of your new responsibilities, you are hereby promoted to Commodore." Udina said as he brought out a box with Shepard's new bars. "In our darkest hour, Humanity as well as the entire galaxy needs a hero once again Commodore Shepard. This Council realizes that it has little right to ask this especially given how badly we've treated you but, please be that hero again."

Author's Notes: Something new for you guys. Cheesy little ending for this chap but hope you guys like it. R&R pls.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

The newly promoted Commodore Shepard left Liara to discuss the details of the Crucible Project with the Councilors while he headed back to the Normandy to prepare and assess what sort of resources he had to work with. Even though the Councilors pledged their support, he knew that he shouldn't really feel overly hopeful since the situation could change at any given moment with the Reapers knocking on everyone's doorsteps. With this in mind, he needed to make plans on how to muster any and every asset he was able to get his hands on in this war.

He had a few ideas on where to begin and fortunately, he was off to a great start on the mass media front. He had virtually charmed his old nemesis reporter Khalisah al-Jillani, who confronted him on his way back to his ship, over to his side and convinced her to cover the war effort on Earth to drum up more support. In addition, he also authorized the reporter Diana Allers to cover his own efforts from within the Normandy itself to raise morale and possibly even more support.

He was also able to bolster the Normandy's crew complement with old reliables Doctor Karin Chakwas whom he met at the hospital while visiting Kaiden as well as the engineering dynamic duo, Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels whom he sprung out of Alliance custody to supplement the returning Chief Adams as well as his new Oxford trained Comm Officer, Samantha Traynor.

His Drell friend Thane Krios was also at the hospital though the master assassin declined to join him on the Normandy which was a significant downer. He had hoped that the master assassin was up for one final tour of duty but being in the late stages of Keprall Syndrome kept him confined in the hospital for treatment. He did however agree to keep an eye on Kaiden.

This didn't change the fact that, to fight monsters, he needed the big guns. And as confident as he sounded when he was meeting with the Council, he wasn't totally sold on the Crucible Project, comparing it to handing a loaded pistol to a baby.

Shepard shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. If Liara said the Crucible will work, it WILL work. But then again, having these big guns on standby couldn't hurt either.

As he approached the Normandy's airlock, his heart skipped a beat at seeing the person wearing a familiar looking black and white catsuit waiting for him there.

"Miranda." The ex Cerberus operative gave him that familiar little smirk as she melted into his embrace and exchanged a passionate kiss.

Miranda Lawson had been the reason why he was even here in the first place. She had spent the better part of two years overseeing the Lazarus Project which pieced him back together after he was jettisoned into space during the Collector attack on the original Normandy and left for dead. And despite their differing affiliations, the two grew quite close and had an affair during the times they were preparing for what amounted to a suicide mission against the Collectors. She eventually cut ties with Cerberus after witnessing for herself the extent of the Illusive Man's obsession with gaining the powers of the Reapers for himself.

"Shepard. It's been a while hasn't it." She said after they broke apart from their kiss. "Sorry I haven't been in touch with you while you were incarcerated. It really wouldn't look good on you if they found out someone like me has been seeing you."

"Perfectly understandable." Shepard said as he led Miranda towards a nearby bench where they sat down. "So how have you been these past six months?"

"I've been good." Miranda said. "I've actually kept myself busy finding information about other Cerberus cells and personally shutting them down or sending anonymous tips that only a blind man can ignore to Alliance intelligence."

Shepard had to smile at this. "I bet that the Illusive Man enjoyed hearing about that from his minions."

"I should hope not. Seeing the depraved things that Cerberus has actually done makes me sick." Miranda said with a scowl. "This is NOT the organization I joined in order to promote humankind's interests."

"Easy Miranda." Shepard soothed. "Your heart was in the right place but you were deceived like so many others."

"Yes. Then I heard that Earth was attacked so I dropped everything and rushed here to see if I could get more information." Miranda then gazed at the docked SR2 Normandy with a smile. "I saw the Normandy was here so I figured there was a good chance I'd find you here with her too."

"And now you found me." Shepard said and soon found himself the recipient of a tight embrace from Miranda which he returned.

"I was so worried about you." She murmured, her face buried in his shoulder. "I've never been this…. Attatched to anyone. It's actually quite disconcerting and I'm not used to it. How bad was it on Earth?"

"They're everything we feared Miranda." Shepard replied somberly. "It was really hard for me to follow Anderson's order to leave Earth. I SHOULD be there fighting besides him."

"Anderson did the right thing." Miranda opined. "You are the only one with any experience and the successful track record against the Reapers. If anyone can beat them, you can."

Miranda then looks up at Shepard, her hands still in his and asks. "I have to know John. Am I still part of your plans? I mean we were apart for quite a while so I'll understand if…." She was silenced by a finger to her lips.

"You were ALWAYS part of my plans Miranda. Now more then ever." Shepard said. "We got what we wanted. The Council is now taking the Reaper threat seriously."

Miranda scoffs derisively. "Yes. It probably has something to do with both Palaven and Earth being bloody razed to the ground."

Shepard ignores Miranda's sarcastic tone of voice. "They've given me the green light to deal with the Reapers as I see fit. Heck they even promoted me to Commodore for it so I really would like your help with this."

Miranda bit her lip indecisively. "John. I'd love to help. I really do. But the thing is, there is another reason why I came here to the Citadel."

"Is there something wrong Miranda?" Did something happen? Shepard asks in concern.

After a moment of silence, Miranda spoke. "It's my sister Oriana. You know that's she's supposed to be my biological twin and that we were cloned from our father's dna, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well there are rumors flying around that he's trying to track her down again for some reason and I haven't heard from her for a while now." Miranda growled angrily. "I came here because this is one of the best places to get information and find out what's going on. I have to do this for my own peace of mind John. I will NOT let my father get his grubby hands on my sister ever again. Even if it costs me my life."

"Well I might have something to say about that." Shepard said. "If Oriana is important to you, then she's important to me too. And if your dad wants her for less then ethical reasons, then I'll be the one putting a bullet in his head so that you won't have to."

"But John…."

"No buts Miranda. You just got your sister back and I'm not about to let all that hard work getting her back go to waste." Shepard stated firmly. "Besides, if it's information you want, then your should look no further then the Normandy. Or have you forgotten about a certain Asari friend of ours?"

"What are you…." Miranda started before her eyes widen in realization. "Of course. The Shadow Broker. But do you really think she'd help me?"

"I'm sure she will." Shepard said confidently. "Besides, she also needs some help with crunching numbers in a little project we have while I'll need help managing our resources for this war. This has your name written all over it Miranda. If you are willing."

Miranda really didn't need a lot of time to think about it. Access to probably the galaxy's most extensive information network plus the chance to work with the man she loved again? It was a no-brainer.

"Alright John. If you think I can help then I'll be glad to do so." Miranda said with a smile before turning serious. "But if I get the pertinent information about what my father is up to…."

"He's a Cerberus associate Miranda. And the chances of them getting involved in this war is rather good given what we took away from them when we destroyed the Collector base." Shepard said grimly. "Sooner or later, we'll run into your father Miranda and when we do, we'll take care of him. That much I can promise you."

… **.**

"This is an amazing piece of technology." Hackett said, studying the specs being displayed on his console. Upon getting back to the Normandy, Shepard had contacted the Admiral to report on his progress and brought along Liara and Miranda whom he introduced to Hackett as the anonymous source of the intelligence that the Alliance received about Cerberus. The fact that Hackett did not ask Shepard to elaborate further demonstrated an unprecedented level of trust that the old warhorse had in the Commander. "But the scale and logistics of its construction is absolutely massive. We're going to need a lot more manpower, resources and expertise then what we currently have to get the Crucible finished before the Reapers destroy every intelligent civilization in the galaxy."

"The Salarians, the Asari and the Turians have already promised to send their own experts to assist. We've also got the assets and resources I've collected during the course of my campaign against the Collectors to, at least, get things started." Shepard stated. "But the bad news is that Cerberus is now involved in this war. They're going to make things harder for us to further their own goals which is control of the Reapers. We can't let that happen."

"Agreed." Hackett said. "There's nothing much we can do about the Reaper advance for now but we CAN do something on the Cerberus front. Compared to the Reapers, they're like insects. And the less insects we have buzzing around, the more we can concentrate on the bigger threat. We've still got the intelligence from Miss Lawson. We'll need her assistance in identifying priority targets to weaken Cerberus's support system."

"Of course Admiral. I'll get right on it." Miranda said.

"Meanwhile, I can gather intelligence on the Reapers as well as data on anything that can help speed up construction on the Crucible." Liara volunteered."

"You do that Doctor T'Soni. But if you can't get the information…." Hackett looks at Shepard. "….Then I'll settle for additional soldiers, guns, ships, resources and equipment for the war effort. Ever little bit helps Shepard. Use whatever means available, whatever goodwill I KNOW you've accumulated, but just get it done."

"Yes sir. I won't let you down." Shepard said with a crisp salute.

"I know you won't son. Send me regular reports on your progress. Hackett out." As Hackett's image winks out, Shepard turns to Liara and Miranda. "You heard the man. Let's get to work."

Both women nods at this and goes to their assigned tasks. Shepard was also about to leave the Vid Comm room but stopped when Traynor's voice spoke over the ship speakers. "Commander, you have a priority call from Councilor Sparatus."

"Patch him through." Shepard instructs and turns towards the projector which was now displaying a holographic image of the Turian councilor in front of him.

And he didn't look too happy. Uh oh.

"Commodore. We have a problem." Sparatus said without preamble.

"What's the problem?" Shepard asks.

"We are organizing a War Summit to discuss war efforts but the thing is, we can't seem to contact our Primarch. If we are to solidify the alliance between our people, we need all the leaders present at the war summit." Sparatus said.

"Can't you just get someone else to represent your people?" Shepard asks.

"No. It has to be the Primarch. He's the ONLY one with the political AND military authority to negotiate and sign any agreement." Sparatus said. "Anybody else will NOT be taken as seriously by the other races. We need him if this summit is to succeed."

"What do you want me to do then?" Shepard asks even though he already had an idea of what the Councilor wanted.

"We would like to formally request you to go rescue our Primarch and escort him to the War Summit. The Normandy is currently the fastest ship we have and is equipped with stealth technology. It is the best ship for the job." Sparatus said.

Shepard nods his agreement. It's not like he had any other choice. "Ok then. We'll go get the Primarch for you. Where can we find him?"

"The Primarch was evacuated to Palaven's primary lunar base in Manae. But when the fighting there intensified, he was going to be evacuated again. It was during that time we lost contact with him." Sparatus informs him.

"Sounds like we've got a fight on our hands then. We'll get the Primarch back for you Councilor." Shepard promised.

Sparatus looked relieved at this. "Thank you Commodore. Keep in touch. Sparatus out."

Shepard sighs as he turns away from the projector. This discussion with Sparatus hammered home the fact that this war could take away anyone at any given time and reminded him to do something he should have been doing on a regular basis.

"EDI. Are you there?"

"Online Commodore. How may I assist?" The AI asks.

"I need you to open a secure line for me and patch it through the private terminal in my quarters." Shepard instructed.

"Who should I contact?"

Shepard hesitated for a moment before steeling himself. "Captain Hannah Shepard. SSV Orizaba."

Author's Notes: This seems like a good place as any to stop this chappie. As usual, R&R please


End file.
